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The United States is nearing an agreement to supply Ukraine with Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), long range cruise missiles capable of reaching deep into Russia.
Kyiv would need to wait several months as the US addresses technical issues prior to any shipment, according to US officials.
These missiles could majorly impact the strategic landscape by extending Ukraine’s strike range, an important consideration for the Biden administration.
Officials anticipate an announcement about including JASSMs in a weapons package this autumn, although a final decision has not been made.
Military experts suggest that these stealthy, precision-guided missiles could push Russian staging areas and supply depots hundreds of miles back. This would complicate Russia’s ability to sustain offensive operations and potentially provide Ukraine with a strategic advantage.
Launching these missiles from points near Ukraine’s northern border could enable strikes on Russian cities such as Voronezh and Bryansk. In the southern regions, deploying them near the front lines could allow Ukraine to target airfields or naval facilities in Crimea.
The JASSM has only been integrated into US-designed aircraft. Ukraine will eventually operate several dozen F-16s, which can each carry two of these cruise missiles. One US official mentioned efforts to adapt the missile for use with Ukraine’s non-Western fighter jets, an aspect that has not been previously reported.
The specific details about which jets in Ukraine’s fleet could use JASSM were not provided, but Ukraine operates Soviet-era MiG-29, Su-24, and Su-27 jets.
“There’s a growing need for more arms and powerful weaponry as Ukraine faces intense pressure from Russian forces along its eastern front,” said an official.
Older models of JASSMs, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp, have a range of about 230 miles. These missiles, approximately 14 feet long, are designed to be somewhat stealthy and difficult to spot on radar. They can fly close to the ground and can be programmed to navigate around air defenses.
There is also a longer-range version of JASSM that can reach distances of over 500 miles. The specific type that Washington intends to provide is not yet confirmed. However, supplying the shorter-range variant would alleviate strains on US stockpiles.
Providing Ukraine with JASSMs would also heighten the pressure on Washington to lift restrictions on how Kyiv can use US weaponry. Their effectiveness would be limited if they were not cleared for use on targets inside Russia, said a congressional staffer familiar with the issue.
The US has been hesitant to provide weapons capable of striking deep inside Russia to avoid escalating the conflict further. Although countries allied with Ukraine have been supplying weapons, they have imposed restrictions on their use within Russia to avoid potential retaliation that could draw Nato into the war or provoke a nuclear conflict.
Each JASSM has a substantial 1,000-pound warhead, but unlike the Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles given to Ukraine by Britain and France, it is not specifically designed to penetrate hardened bunkers.
The newer models cost about $1 million each and are guided by Global Positioning System (GPS) signals and an inertial navigation system. As the missile nears its target, an infrared imaging seeker enhances its accuracy, allowing a precision strike within about 10 feet.
George William Herbert from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in California pointed out the resilience of these missiles against electronic warfare.
“Although older models might be less resistant to electronic warfare than the current iteration of JASSM, the infrared seeker would help it find its target even amid heavy jamming,” he said.
“They’re pretty stealthy, but not completely designed around maximum stealth,” Herbert added. “A few years ago, a bunch were fired at Syria after chemical weapons incidents, and Russian air defense systems in the country failed to shoot many down, possibly none of them.”
“I would expect that carefully planned missile flight paths would let JASSM be effective almost anywhere in the war area,” he concluded.
The integration of JASSMs would not only bolster Ukraine’s military capabilities but also alter the dynamics of the Ukrainian conflict significantly, depending on the range of the missiles ultimately supplied.
Kyiv would need to wait several months as the US addresses technical issues prior to any shipment, according to US officials.
These missiles could majorly impact the strategic landscape by extending Ukraine’s strike range, an important consideration for the Biden administration.
Officials anticipate an announcement about including JASSMs in a weapons package this autumn, although a final decision has not been made.
Military experts suggest that these stealthy, precision-guided missiles could push Russian staging areas and supply depots hundreds of miles back. This would complicate Russia’s ability to sustain offensive operations and potentially provide Ukraine with a strategic advantage.
Launching these missiles from points near Ukraine’s northern border could enable strikes on Russian cities such as Voronezh and Bryansk. In the southern regions, deploying them near the front lines could allow Ukraine to target airfields or naval facilities in Crimea.
The JASSM has only been integrated into US-designed aircraft. Ukraine will eventually operate several dozen F-16s, which can each carry two of these cruise missiles. One US official mentioned efforts to adapt the missile for use with Ukraine’s non-Western fighter jets, an aspect that has not been previously reported.
The specific details about which jets in Ukraine’s fleet could use JASSM were not provided, but Ukraine operates Soviet-era MiG-29, Su-24, and Su-27 jets.
“There’s a growing need for more arms and powerful weaponry as Ukraine faces intense pressure from Russian forces along its eastern front,” said an official.
Older models of JASSMs, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp, have a range of about 230 miles. These missiles, approximately 14 feet long, are designed to be somewhat stealthy and difficult to spot on radar. They can fly close to the ground and can be programmed to navigate around air defenses.
There is also a longer-range version of JASSM that can reach distances of over 500 miles. The specific type that Washington intends to provide is not yet confirmed. However, supplying the shorter-range variant would alleviate strains on US stockpiles.
Providing Ukraine with JASSMs would also heighten the pressure on Washington to lift restrictions on how Kyiv can use US weaponry. Their effectiveness would be limited if they were not cleared for use on targets inside Russia, said a congressional staffer familiar with the issue.
The US has been hesitant to provide weapons capable of striking deep inside Russia to avoid escalating the conflict further. Although countries allied with Ukraine have been supplying weapons, they have imposed restrictions on their use within Russia to avoid potential retaliation that could draw Nato into the war or provoke a nuclear conflict.
Each JASSM has a substantial 1,000-pound warhead, but unlike the Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles given to Ukraine by Britain and France, it is not specifically designed to penetrate hardened bunkers.
The newer models cost about $1 million each and are guided by Global Positioning System (GPS) signals and an inertial navigation system. As the missile nears its target, an infrared imaging seeker enhances its accuracy, allowing a precision strike within about 10 feet.
George William Herbert from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in California pointed out the resilience of these missiles against electronic warfare.
“Although older models might be less resistant to electronic warfare than the current iteration of JASSM, the infrared seeker would help it find its target even amid heavy jamming,” he said.
“They’re pretty stealthy, but not completely designed around maximum stealth,” Herbert added. “A few years ago, a bunch were fired at Syria after chemical weapons incidents, and Russian air defense systems in the country failed to shoot many down, possibly none of them.”
“I would expect that carefully planned missile flight paths would let JASSM be effective almost anywhere in the war area,” he concluded.
The integration of JASSMs would not only bolster Ukraine’s military capabilities but also alter the dynamics of the Ukrainian conflict significantly, depending on the range of the missiles ultimately supplied.
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